Etne, hjembygda til kong Magnus Erlingsson og faren hans, Erling Skakke, hadde sin syvende Forteljefestival 30. mars til 1. april i år (2012).
Etne is a town steeped in history. Back in the late 12th Century, Etne was the home of kings. King Magnus Erlingsson and his father Erling Askew (regent during Magnus’ childhood – he was crowned at five) grew up on Stødle farm and Erling himself built the church that still stands at Stødle. Here, on these historical grounds, the seventh Storytelling Festival (Forteljefestivalen) was held from the 30th of March to the 1st of April this year (2012). As far as I know, Etne is the only storytelling municipality in Norway – it’s been decreed that storytelling shall be the preferred form of artistic expression in public events and conferences.
Forteljefestivalen has mainly focused on local history, especially the era of Erling and his son from the middle of the 12th Century. The storyteller Tone Idun Bolstad has created three commissioned works about central figures during this time period – all of these have had their premiere during a festival; The Saga of Kristin, The King in Etne and Åsa the Bright. In 2009 I myself was asked to make a commissioned work about the Jerusalem voyage of Erling Askew, and since its premiere I have returned to Etne and played the performance The Game of Kings in Stødle Church several times. I’ve travelled there so many times now that I have received a very specific pin.
Dreamsight
Now, in 2012, I returned. But this time it didn’t concern Erling Askew. I did a performance for middle school pupils at Enge and Skånevik School with the new performance Poste Mortante and in the evening of the 30th of March it was time for T&M – improvised concert performance with my musician in crime Morten Minothi Kristiansen.
We presented something that could be be best described as a dream journey through an inner life. To work with free improv is just as spooky as it is rewarding – some of the stongets images we wandered through this time was a labour horse carrying all the galaxies on its shoulders and a man with tunnel sight walking through a city where people die like flies around him, accompanied by tolling bells – but soon death becomes nothing but background noise.
Many thanks to Etne Forteljefestival for now!
Forteljefestivalen
Poste Mortante
T&M
The Game of Kings
Forteljefestivalen har hovedsakelig hatt fokus på lokalhistorie, og særlig da kongsperioden fra midten av 1100-tallet. Fortelleren Tone Idun Bolstad har laget tre bestillingsverk om sentrale personer i denne epoken som alle har hatt premiere under tidligere festivaler; Sagaen om Kristin, Kongen på Etne og Åsa den Lyse. I 2009 ble jeg selv bedt om å lage et bestillingsverk om Erling Skakkes korstog til Jerusalem, og siden premieren har jeg vært tilbake og spilt forestillingen Kongespillet i Stødle Kyrkje flere ganger. Det har blitt såpass mange reiser nå at jeg har fått tildelt en spesiell pin.
Draumsyn
Nå, i 2012, vendte jeg tilbake. Men denne gang handlet det ikke om Erling Skakke. Jeg opptrådte for ungdomstrinnet på Enge og Skånevik Skule med den nylagede forestilllingen Poste Mortante og på kvelden den 30. mars var det duket for T&M – improvisert konsertperformance med min musikerkumpan Morten Minothi Kristiansen.
Vi leverte det som nærmest kan beskrives som en drømmereise gjennom et indre liv. Å jobbe med fri improvisasjon er like skummelt som det er givende – de sterkeste bildene vi vandret igjennom denne gang var en arbeidshest som bar alle galaksene på sine skuldre og en mann med tunnelsyn på vei gjennom en by hvor folk dør som fluer rundt ham, akkompagnert av klingende bjeller – men snart blir døden bakgrunnsstøy.
Takk til Etne Forteljefestival for denne gang!
Forteljefestivalen
Poste Mortante
T&M
Kongespillet
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